A leader of the panel recently appointed in response to the Bayou Corne-area sinkhole says the group will follow a "very aggressive" schedule to make recommendations on when evacuated residents can return to their homes.

Legislators also are looking to give prospective property owners a heads-up on what may lie beneath the ground near their homes or businesses.

The proposed laws filed by four legislators whose districts include the sinkhole area would halt permits for new salt mining operations and mandate regular mapping and monitoring of sites, among other restrictions.

The Assumption sinkhole was discovered in August and resulted in evacuating 350 residents from 150 homes between the Bayou Corne and Grand Bayou area, about 40 miles south of Baton Rouge. Many are seeking buyouts or settlements from Texas Brine Company, the Houston-based firm that mined the cavern.